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University of California, Berkeley
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Definitions of Academic Dishonesty
These definitions are excerpted from the " 'Instructors' Guide for Addressing Student Academic Dishonesty" [pdf] (September 2005), published by the Campus Life and Leadership office .
Cheating
Cheating is defined as fraud, deceit, or dishonesty in an academic assignment, or using or attempting to use materials, or assisting others in using materials which are prohibited or inappropriate in the context of the academic assignment in question. Here are some examples:
- Copying or attempting to copy from others during an exam or on an assignment.
- Communicating answers with another person during an exam.
- Preprogramming a calculator to contain answers or other unauthorized information for exams.
- Using unauthorized materials, prepared answers, written notes, or concealed information during an exam.
- Allowing others to do an assignment or portion of an assignment for you, including the use of a commercial term-paper service.
- Submitting the same assignment for more than one course without prior approval of all the instructors involved.
- Collaborating on an exam or assignment with any other person without prior approval from the instructor.
- Taking an exam for another person or having someone take an exam for you.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as use of intellectual material produced by another person without acknowledging its source, for example:
- Wholesale copying of passages from works of others into your homework, essay, termpaper, or dissertation without acknowledgment.
- Using the views, opinions, or insights of another without acknowledgment.
- Paraphrasing another person's characteristic or original phraseology, metaphor, or other literary device without acknowledgment.
Academic Misconduct
Examples of academic misconduct include:
- Removing, defacing, or deliberately keeping from other students library materials that are on reserve for specific courses.
- Contaminating laboratory samples or altering indicators during a practical exam, such as moving a pin in a dissection specimen for an anatomy course.
False Information
Examples of academic misconduct include:
- Furnishing false information in the context of an academic assignment.
- Failing to identify yourself honestly in the context of an academic obligation.
- Fabricating or altering information or data and presenting it as legitimate.
- Providing false or misleading information to an instructor or any other University official.
Theft or Damage of Intellectual Property
- Sabotaging or stealing another person's assignment, book, paper, notes, experiment, project, electronic hardware, or software.
- Improper access to, or electronically interfering with, the property of another person or the University via computer or other means.
- Obtaining a copy of an exam or assignment prior to its approved release by the instructor.
Disturbances in the Classroom
- Interference with the course of instruction to the detriment of other students.
- Disruption of classes or other academic activities in an attempt to stifle academic freedom of speech.
- Failure to comply with the instructions or directives of the course instructor.
- Phoning in falsified bomb threats.
- Unnecessarily activating fire alarms.
Alteration of University Documents
- Forgery of an instructor's signature on a letter of recommendation or any other document.
- Submitting an altered transcript of grades to or from another institution or employer.
- Putting your name on another person's exam or assignment.
- Altering a previously graded exam or assignment for purposes of a grade appeal or of gaining points in a regrading process.
Distribution of Lecture Notes
Selling or distributing course lecture notes, handouts, readers, or other information provided by an instructor, or using them for any commercial purpose without the express permission of the instructor.
Dealing with Academic Dishonesty Links:
Teaching Resources Links:
- Creating Ground Rules for Discussion Sections
- Using Group Work in Discussion Sections
- Strategies for Variety in the Classroom
- Developing Critical Reading Skills
- How to Teach Lab Sections
- Award-winning Teaching Ideas (Teaching Effectiveness Award Essays)
- Theories of Learning
- Dealing with and Preventing Academic Dishonesty
- Grading Students' Written Work
- Understanding & Using Instructional Technology
- Five Ways to Improve Your Teaching
- How to Write a Letter of Recommendation
- Campus Resources
- FAQs
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